Workload demands 9000 doctors: Kerala Government Medical Officers Association

Thiruvananthapuram: The shortage of doctors in health service department has badly hit disease control, prevention and treatment activities across the state amid increasing cases of fever. The existing doctors’ strength is based on the staff pattern which was finalised in 1966. According to Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) ideally the health department should have 8,000 to 9,000 doctors considering the huge work load in 1,250 hospitals including district, taluk and general hospitals.

Increase in staff strength has been a major demand of the KGMOA in view of the shortage of doctors in all categories including assistant surgeons, specialists and specialist (admn) cadre. With the existing doctors taking the extra load because of the fever related patient rush, the health care services in many hospitals have been adversely affected. Besides many doctors are forced to work for 12 to 15 hours continuously. Most regular doctors are handling administrative responsibilities of DMO, DHS, additional directors and heads of disease control programmes and their services towards public health sector are limited. Moreover, specialists and general medics have limited experience in operational and management issues.

Though the health department had raised an exclusive administrative cadre for non-specialist doctors, none is trained in public health issues. Even health and sanitation staff, ASHA workers who are responsible for ground-level disease prevention activities are over burdened with various other responsibilities. Meanwhile, health minister K. K. Shailaja admitted that shortage of doctors had adversely affected fever control measures across the state. She said the services of doctors from the private sector would be requisitioned in view of the increasing fever cases.